Thou Shall Not Die
by heartbeat311
Summary: Having chosen to live with a coven of vampires to keep her loved ones safe, Megan thinks her vampire hunting days are over. But with an unexpected attack from a vicious new group and new slew of murders, vampires must team up with hunters to save the city
1. The Hunter and the Hunted

Okay, people, the first chapter of the second story is up, and I really hope you like it. Keep reading and reviewing!!

The Hunter and the Hunted

Moonlight glinted off water in gleaming beams as I raced across the beach in an invisible blur. Shapes morphed as I rushed past them, but the darkness didn't bother me. My perfect night vision enabled me to see in the dark.

The blood pounded excitedly through my veins like music through a stereo, as I followed the scent, up the beach and into the silvery woods. As the scent-trail grew stronger, my legs moved faster until I was speeding along like a bullet from a gun. My heart fluttered in my chest, my breath came out, swift and silent, and my body tensed as it sensed that the hunt was drawing to its climax. And that's when I saw them, standing in a small clearing on a cliff just above the seaside. Great big beasts, their antlers stark-white against the pewter-and-silver-and-black setting. Deer! I felt a rush of power, a sharp, white-hot feeling of absolute power because I realized that I was so much stronger and faster than this prey.

As I approached, silent but quick as a wink, my muscles tensed and bunched, and then sprung. I let my body soar, carrying me forward as if on wings of night. I relished the quivery feeling of flying through the air…and then I was on them. They had no chance to run- they had no warning. I'd caught three before they even knew what was happening, but that was enough.

Without hesitating, I plunged my fangs into the warm throat of one of the bucks. Blood rushed into my mouth, hot, sweet, thick, spicy. A flash of color exploded before my eyes as the sheer force of the blood pounded through my veins like it was my own. My heart thumped gratefully as the animal's lifeblood bled into my body. I vaguely felt the other two at my side, heard their sighs of relief as they started to feed, but I was too preoccupied with my own kill to react at all.

Once I'd finished, I stood up, uncurling from my feral, animal-like crouch, and gazed up at the moon. The freedom and exhilaration I'd felt swimming through my veins had started to fade, and the ever-present sorrow took its place. It had been almost a month since I'd left my best friend (Allan) and boyfriend (Edgar) so that they could be safe from my bloodlust and such, but the pain always felt fresh, new, like an open wound. It never dulled, never went away. And it certainly never healed. As I looked down at the body of the deer I'd drained, I thought darkly to myself: _I am the hunter...and the hunted._

I was sure it would take months, maybe even years, for the wound to scar, and then even more time for it to fade into a distant memory. And I was sure that no matter where I went, I would still be hunted by these vicious thoughts... I sighed, as I often did when these thoughts, with their horrible tones of gray, took over. "What's wrong?" a soft voice asked. I turned to my friend, Star, and smiled wryly. "What else could be wrong?" I replied and she gave me a sympathetic look.

Star had joined my group of vampire buddies shortly after I had. I had noticed her before I'd joined, but I hadn't been aware that she wasn't a vampire yet until David Changed her before my incredulous eyes. I had been extremely surprised that David had decided to bite Star instead of letting her drink the vampire blood that had Changed my little cousin, Laddie, but I didn't object. I had learned quickly, by experience unfortunately, that you don't piss off the head vampire. Ever. Unless you want to get a serious beating.

"You shouldn't be so depressed…you did the right thing. If you'd hurt them, you would have felt worse," she pointed out gently and I nodded, pressing my fingers forcefully against my temple as the familiar lump formed in my throat. Tears stung my eyes but I ignored them as best as I could and tried to speak without letting my voice quiver. "Yeah, I know…but it's not like I can stop missing them."

Star nodded quietly and a silence fell over us as we waited for Laddie to finish his deer. After all of us were through, we burned the bodies, as they were of no nutritional value to any other creature with all the blood drained out, and then headed back to the Boardwalk.

It wasn't very hard to find our "brothers", as we called them. Over the time we'd spent with them in our cave, their scents had become very familiar, and they were easy enough to pick out, even in a crowd as big as the one in the Boardwalk. By their scent, our brothers had fed, just like us, and were lazy and content enough to return to the cave.

As we flew back over the sea, toward our cave, I couldn't help ignoring the playful banter that had ensued between my brothers (and sister). My mind returned to Edgar's face, the way he'd smiled when I'd returned to him from my first hunting expedition, the first time I'd seen his face clearly after I'd been Changed, the first time I'd ever seen him at all…all the memories swirled in my head, and I didn't know there were tears running down my face till Marko, my older cousin, said something.

"Thinking about them again?" he murmured in my ear and I felt a jolt of surprise run through me. "Yeah," I admitted, ashamed that he'd seen my tears. I wiped them away furiously.

"I'm sorry…you know, you didn't have to join us…" he began but I sighed. "Yes, I did, Marko. If I'd stayed with them, I would've ended up hurting them." "You don't know that," came his steady reply.

I'd argued with him about this a bunch of times, but never had he said this. I found myself wondering at his words. _You don't know that…_but I did, didn't I? I mean, that's why I'd left in the first place, because I'd been so sure I would have hurt them. But…what if I'd been wrong? What if I'd been strong enough to keep my bloodlust under control?

I couldn't spend too much time pondering this, though, because at that moment, we landed in the cave…and the smell of the newcomer wafted into my nose. I was instantly on high alert, as was everyone else around me. "Well, well, well, _brother, _it seems as if your coven is growing…" a voice sneered from the shadows of a corner. I wasn't an idiot- I could tell that there was a warning, battle-hungry edge to the invisible one's voice.

I clenched my teeth and prepared to attack.

R+R, please, I need to know if I should continue my stories or not...no flames, please.


	2. Bad News

Hey, people, just wanted to say thanks to my "constant readers" for your support!

Bad News

"If I were you, Tony, I'd keep to myself," David snarled as the figure stepped out into the dim light of the cavern. He wasn't tall, or even scary-looking despite his threatening voice. He was rather stout and lanky, yet muscular. He was Mexican, which wasn't a surprise living this close to border, but it was his eyes that were the most shocking. They were bright silver.

No vampire that I had ever seen had had _silver _eyes. They always had eyes like infernos, blazing like eternal suns. Tony's eyes were like the moon. Sheesh, was he even a vampire? He smelled a little bit like me and my brothers but…there was something different, something strange, about his scent and…well, just about everything else.

Tony grinned at David. "Hey, I'm just _saying, _is all," he sneered. "Just get out of here. Didn't I tell you I never wanted to see you again?" David yelled, and I flinched at the deadly tone of his voice.

I exchanged a quick confused glance with my brothers; none of us knew who this Tony was, and why he and David seemed to have some sort of relationship. Some sort of strained, deadly relationship.

"Touchy, aren't we, chief?" Tony murmured and something flashed between them- some pained memory that they both understood. "What are you here for?" David asked more quietly, and Tony shrugged. "I just wanted to warn you that your father is angry with you…and that Damien is gathering a coven together to destroy yours. I have no idea whose side I'll be on," Tony added, flashing us a wide grin. I snarled low in my throat threateningly, and Star scooted Laddie closer to her.

"When?" The word slid darkly out of David's throat as if dragged through a forest made of broken glass. There was the pain of betrayal in his eyes, and also black fury. "Oh, I don't know…in a few days maybe…" Tony replied insolently, pretending to be uninterested. David's hand darted out and in a tenth of a second he was holding Tony up by his shirt, his face just inches from the newcomer's.

"_When?" _he hissed. "I told you, I don't know!" Tony insisted, serious this time. David snorted in disgust and threw the strange vamp to the ground. "Are they gathering the wolves?" came my leader's quiet murmur. "Yeah, I think so…" My heart skipped a beat. The wolves? Who were they?

After a moment of silence, David turned back to Tony. His eyes were glittering slits of anger as he glowered at the newcomer. "Get out of my sight," he growled, low and dangerous. "No problem, _chief,_" Tony hissed in reply as he stalked out of the cave. I waited until he was out of sight to relax.

"What was that all about?" Paul demanded. "Yeah, who are the wolves?" Star asked. "I'm scared," Laddie chorused. "Oh would all just shut up? I'm trying to think!" David yelled and all of us fell silent as our leader began to pace frantically. "If Damien's gathering vampires and wolves together, then we're going to need help to fight them. Our coven alone isn't enough to defeat them," he muttered, mostly to himself.

"Uh, David? I think it might help if we had any idea what the fuck is going on," I growled. For a moment, David glared into my eyes and then he sighed. "Yeah, sorry, I'm just kinda…surprised," he finally said, as if he had to think to decide what word to say.

"The wolves are just a short name for werewolves. That's what Tony was- a werewolf. You can tell because they smell a bit like us, but a little bit more woodsy, and their eyes are either bright yellow or silver." I nodded thoughtfully. So Tony wasn't a vampire after all.

"And why's Damien gathering a coven to destroy us?" Marko asked and David sighed. "It's sort of complicated, so I'll shorten it a bit. A long time ago, my parents were killed in a car accident and I was adopted by a man named Max. He had two kids- Damien and Ashlee."

Something flashed across my mind's eye. An image of a different time, when I was still human and had just begun to hunt vampires with Edgar and Allan. An image of a dark, dilapidated room, where three vampires crouched, deadly snakes of steel waiting to pounce. Their names had been Axel, Damien, and Ashlee.

"After a while, me and my new siblings learned that our father had a secret- he was a vampire. Of course, you all know that once you learn about vampires, you either have to become one or you have to be killed, to protect our secret. We were terrified and we tried to hide that we knew…but of course, we couldn't and we ended up becoming vampires. When that happened, we were introduced to new people, new _vampires, _and we started getting in too deep with the wrong crowd.

"That crowd would go around, barely concealing their existance as they killed massive amounts of humans. Some of that coven wasn't just vampires, either. It had werewolves, too, and Tony was one of them. Ashlee and Damien loved hanging out with that crowd…I was younger than they were, and much more innocent than I am now." At that, David smiled ruefully.

"And so, I got in a fight with them. Max protected me, and sent his kids to live with that coven while he trained me as a vampire. He told me that I had to lead my own coven to become great, so, I did. Ever since, I've tried to keep you all away from Damien's adoptive coven. But…it was only a matter of time before they came for us," David finished reluctantly.

I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. There was something in his voice, something that suggested he'd left things out, or edited things. There was something he wasn't telling us, and I planned on finding out what that was.

"So, we fight?" Star inquired reluctantly. David raised his eyes to meet her gaze and they were crystalline orbs of fire. "Yes." I closed my eyes as fear tingled through my body. We would _fight?_

R+R please! No flames.


	3. Unexpected Meeting

Thanks for people who have been reading my story and reviewing it! I couldn't do it without your support. :)

Unexpected Meeting

It was two nights since the warning had come from Tony, and me and my brothers were down at the Boardwalk. But this trip was different. Usually when we came here it was to party and have a good time, maybe stalk a victim or two…well, not for me, I'm not into human blood and I never have been. I've never even tried it before, just like Star and Laddie.

On this trip, we were patrolling the whole length of the Boardwalk for any sign of other vampires or wolves, ones that might be plotting against us with Damien. Star and Laddie had stayed behind in case we would run into a dangerous vamp. And for me this trip was extra strange, because ever since I'd told the Frog brothers I'd had to leave them, I'd been very good at staying away from the comic book store. But tonight, David had sent me to patrol the eastern perimeter, which included the comic store. Eventually, I would have to come to terms with my avoiding that place and see if I was strong enough to face the pain.

When that time came, I found that I was more prepared than I thought I could ever be. My heart felt as though it was encased in steel, unable to break or melt or shatter. My whole body was tense, as if coiled to spring, but it didn't show on the outside. On the outside, I was composed. I was calm. And I was right outside the front door of the comic book store when I saw them.

Edgar and Allan were inside, talking with some lanky, blonde-haired kid their age. I stiffened slightly, but held onto the cool, collected feeling I had gathered inside of me. I strained my ears to catch their words.

"Listen, buddy, if you're lookin' for the diet frozen yogurt bar it went out of business last summer," Edgar was muttering, slightly sarcastic. "Actually I was looking for a Batman #14," the kid replied. "That's a very serious book, man," Edgar growled. "Only five in existence," Allan added. "Four, actually. I'm always lookin out for the other three," the boy corrected seriously.

Hearing the voices of the boys I'd grown so close to, I felt as though I wanted to die, but I clung desperately to my calmness and strode away to finish the patrol. My heart made of steel stayed in place and didn't break this time, and the tears I usually felt didn't come. They threatened, but I wouldn't give into them.

At about one in the morning, when the shops started to close, I headed back toward my brothers and our usual meeting place. But just when I was about twelve feet away, a voice called my name. A familiar voice. "Megan, you're here!" I turned around slowly to face Allan.

"Hey, Allan," I replied reluctantly and almost choked as he hugged me tightly. He quickly stepped away a second later, looking ashamed. "Uh, sorry, I forgot…" he murmured quickly, but I cut him off. "No, don't worry, I'm not thirsty anymore," I assured him and he peered at me closely. "You've fed?" "Not on humans. I don't have the stomach for that. I usually just hunt deer and such that live around here," I told him, feeling my heart flutter anxiously in my chest. What if he saw me as a threat, an enemy, now that I had fed?

But my fears seemed to be in vain as his eyes shone relief. "Oh, well that's better…uh, I hate to bug you, but I've been looking for you for about three hours now…Edgar and I met a boy tonight," he began but hesitated.

"And you two had a little spat over the boy, right? Wanted a little one on one with him?" I asked teasingly, trying to lighten the tense mood. "No! What the hell? No, he was new in town and we warned him about the vampires…"

"Did you warn him about me?" I inquired, my voice growing serious. "No, we don't worry about you…you're not the enemy. But the boy's older brother seemed to be hanging out with a biker gang…uh, the one that me and Edgar pulled you away from the night you and Marko got in a fight," Allan continued uncomfortably. I blinked slowly, in surprise. What did my brothers want with this boy's older brother? Were they picking out a snack?

"And? I assume you're telling me this for a good reason," I prompted and Allan nodded. "Yeah…we were wondering if you could get his brother away from that gang…are they your friends now?" I nodded. "And we were wondering if…if you would help us if we needed it. There's been a bunch of murders lately, and we think that vampires are behind them," he asked.

I thought for a moment. Could it possibly be Damien's new coven, hunting in new territory? Another thought racked my brain…could I possibly be around Edgar and Allan to help them when I knew in my heart I could never truly be in their family again?

"We can't do it alone, Megan, and…Edgar's been depressed lately. He needs you. I need you. We miss you," Allan pleaded quietly. Something in me fluttered, and some of the steel I'd surrounded my heart with cracked. So much for being stronger…

"I'll think about it…" I decided after a moment and Allan smiled slightly. "Thanks…call us when you decide, okay?" With that he handed me a small slip of paper with a phone number on it.

"You've gotten professional…have you handed these out to other people?" I asked, teasing once more, although this time it sounded all wrong. There was something between me and Allan now that could either disappear if I decided to help them, or grow bigger if I decided otherwise. I knew it. He knew it. And probably Edgar knew it too, even though he wasn't there.

Allan smiled wryly. "Only one…the boy we met tonight," he explained as he started backing away. "I'll maybe see you later," he called uncertainly. I sighed and nodded.

"No promises…don't get you're hopes up, okay?" I told him, not wanting to sound mean but not wanting him and Edgar to get their hopes up only to have them shatter either. Allan nodded, his mouth set in a grim, sad line. And then he walked off and I was left alone, with nothing but a phone number in my hand and a bad feeling in my stomach.

R+R (but no flames please!)


	4. Returning

Hey, people, I'd just like to thank everyone's who's been reading. Reviews would be nice :)

Returning

When my brothers and I got back to the cave that night, I couldn't sleep. When everyone else had gone to sleep for the day, I was still awake, pacing the floor and thinking of Allan's questions.

I hadn't seen the alleged older brother that night, but the dreamy look in Star's eyes couldn't be ignored, nor could the slightly jealous, slightly curious waves coming off of David. I had asked Marko who they'd met that night, and he had confirmed my suspicions. My brothers had met with a boy, around 17 years old, who had shown interest in Star…which explained both Star's and David's expressions.

Allan had said that he and Edgar had wanted the older brother to stay away from my brothers…but could I pull him and Star apart? Once a vampire fell in love, it usually lasted for life (which I didn't usually like to think about because it made me think of Edgar and how much I loved _him._) And humans were naturally drawn to vampires because of their beauty and ability to seduce their prey…that's what had happened to Star and David, but while Star's attachment to David had been severed when she'd Changed, David's had increased.

I didn't think I would be able to keep the older brother away, but I would try…and as for Allan's other question, I definitely was not sure what I was going to do. Of course I wanted to help them; it was what I wanted most of all, and it was making my decision all the more painful! But I was still unsure about my commitment to abstaining from human blood, and that right there was reason enough to be careful of what I decided. If I hurt Edgar or Allan…I shuddered at the thought.

Eventually, bright light seeped in through the opening of our hotel-cave and I realized that it must be around noon by now. I wondered what the Frog brothers were doing then…what they were thinking about…Were they wondering if I would call them to help? Were they were preparing for major vamp sabotage? Panic at that thought made my heart flutter anxiously. They couldn't do it alone…and it was my responsibility to protect them. I knew that now, and I had known it all along, I suppose. It was probably one of the reasons I couldn't keep the steel over my heart, couldn't let them go, couldn't forget them. And it was certainly why I had left them in the first place. I had to protect them from myself, but now, with them in new danger, I had to put that issue aside to protect them from the more immediate possibilities.

Those thoughts passed through my brain in a matter of seconds, and before I knew it, I was dressing in the "go-out-in-the-daylight-just-in-case-I-have-to" clothes that I had stolen from my house a week ago. I donned the large black hoodie, put on a baseball cap and then placed the hood over the hat. I then slipped on my long jeans and my Vans, then finally slipped on my long gloves and put my sunglasses on. I then headed out into the daylight for the first time in weeks, being careful that the shadow of my hood and hat lay over my face, shielding me from the deadly light of the sun.

As I flew out over the sea, I marveled at how powerfully gorgeous the world was. For the first time in a long time, I was seeing the daytime version of what had become so familiar and it was amazing. I could see down so deep into the depths of the ocean, I could see every particle floating around in the ever-churning waves, and every creature living in those waves. The sunlight, the deadly dangerous sunlight, was even beautiful as it glinted in white-hot sparkles off the glistening waves.

When I landed, I was amazed at how different the day smelled from the night. The day was more alive, more enticing, and definitely more confusing. There were so many smells that bombarded my enhanced senses that it made my head reel for a moment. After I had marveled at the new world around me, I remembered the task at hand and headed off in the direction of the comic book store.

I had forgotten how busy and crowded the Boardwalk was in the day. Humans cluttered the streets, drawn to the bright, lively lights of the amusement park rides like moths. Everything familiar hit me in a wave- the heat and the smell of hot tar rising from black pavement, and the sweet scents of cotton candy and popcorn combined to create a rich aroma that made my senses tingle. The bright sound of laughter and seagulls and little kids splashing around in the water, everything! It was so familiar that it was heartbreaking, and for a moment I was struck with a homesickness so deep and harsh that I stopped breathing in that moment.

"Megan?" a voice called from a little ways away and I whipped around to face the source of the sound, jolted from my nostalgia as if someone had splashed Holy water on my face. When I saw the face peering at me from the crowd, it was as if someone had shocked me with ten thousand volts of pure joy. Edgar!

I raced over to him, forgetting, in that moment, all my fears of bloodlust because, in that moment, all I felt was my overwhelming love for him. He caught me in his arms and spun me around and it felt as though the steel that had encased my heart, cracked last night by Allan's pleading, melted away.

The feel of Edgar's skin on mine, so soft, made me tingle. I breathed in his sweet smell hungrily, burying my face in his chest- the unexplainable sweet and smoky scent of burning flowers, or of the bark of apricot trees (if you've ever smelled that), the scent that made him Edgar. _My_ Edgar.

"Edgar, Edgar!" I murmured, nuzzling his neck. I didn't even care that I could hear the blood rushing through his veins, or smell it beneath his skin. It didn't bother me, and I hoped that it wasn't just because of my pure happiness at seeing him. I hoped that my sudden aversion to human blood would stay.

"Megan, you came!" he murmured, sounding surprised. "Yeah, of course I did. I couldn't leave you and your brother to face this alone," I replied, emotion coloring my voice like a rainbow. Edgar grinned down at me and I smiled back at him. "C'mon, let's get you inside. I don't want you out in the sun," he said after an endless moment of staring into each other's eyes. With that he led me through the crowd, lacing his fingers in mine.

Once we had reached the comic book store, I was surprised at Allan's reaction. "Megan!" he cried, racing over to hug me tightly just as he had last night. And, just like last night, he let go immediately, remembering my bloodlust, even though it still didn't bother me.

"Jeez, Allan, you act like you haven't seen me in years," I muttered and he grimaced. "Yeah, well, you're kinda like my sister and I worried about you while you were gone…" he growled and I smiled at him. "Aww, you worried about me?" "Not as much as Edgar. At least I knew you could take care of yourself. _He _thought he wouldn't see you again," Allan replied, indicating his brother with a glance in his direction.

I raised an eyebrow at Edgar and he shrugged sheepishly. "I worry," he admitted. "What an understatement," Allan muttered. "You know I can take care of myself, right? I have vampire powers now," I told Edgar and he nodded. "Yeah, I know…I just love you, and I couldn't stand living without you at my side," he replied, cupping my face in the palm of his hand. I shivered and stroked his hair, each of us drawing closer to the other.

"I felt the exact same way," I murmured, breathing the words up his throat to his mouth. My lips lingered there for a moment until Edgar pressed his down onto mine, soft and sweet. His tongue slid into my mouth as his sweet breathe filled my throat.

"Oh, jeez, would you guys save that for the bedroom? _Please?" _Allan yelled, making both of us jump apart. "Oh, calm down, Al, I haven't seen her in two weeks!" Edgar growled and then blinked, turning to me. "You kissed me," he said and I nodded. "Well, yeah, I love you. Didn't you hear me?" I replied, surprised at his reaction. Was he freaked out that he'd kissed a vampire?

"Yeah…but the last time I saw you, I couldn't even hug you because of your bloodlust," he explained. His eyes widened and I was dismayed to see him move an inch away with his next words. "You've fed, haven't you?" I sighed and nodded. "But not on human blood. I only hunt animals. I've never tasted the blood of a human before," I assured him. Relief was clear in his eyes, but the euphoric mood had dissolved and we had returned to reality.

"So, are we going to discuss this new problem, or what?" Allan demanded and I nodded. I was slightly surprised at how swiftly we all fell back into our old mannerisms- Allan was bossy and annoying at times, Edgar was serious but sweet. They didn't seem bothered by my vampirism, even now, after I'd told them I drink blood. I slipped off my jacket as we began our discussion. I had forgotten how hot the days could get here.

"Okay, first of all, are you able to get the kid's older brother away from your friends?" Allan asked and I shrugged, uncertain. "I don't know. It seems that Star- that's one of my friends- has fallen in love with him, and when vampires fall in love, it's usually for life," I explained, feeling my gaze travel over to Edgar.

"Well, that's not good…" Allan muttered. "Yeah, and the brother seems to have feelings for Star, too. Ties between humans and vampires can last until the human dies, and sometimes forever, in the vampire's case, as long as the bloodlust doesn't get in the way," I went on. "Is there anyway to break the tie?" Edgar murmured, and I saw something flash in his eyes- fear? Anxiety? Was he worrying that _our _tie could be broken?

"I'm not sure. My other friend- David- and Star had a tie sort of like this when Star was human. But then David Changed her and Star forgot her feelings for David." I didn't add that David still loved Star. Somehow it seemed too private.

"Well, if we can't get the kid's brother away from your friends, at least try to prevent him being Changed. We can't afford another vampire running loose, no offense," Allan said. I shrugged. "It's okay, I understand."

"Alright, now let's talk about this bout of new murders," Allan began but I interrupted him. "Uh, I think I know who's responsible." "Well, who?" he demanded. I sighed and launched into my story. "There's a vampire named Damien who hates my friends, so he's gathering together a coven of vampires and werewolves so he can destroy us, and since there's a lot of them in the area they are probably causing all the murders," I said in one breath.

When the Frog brothers were silent, I wondered if they'd understood what I'd said since I'd been talking so fast. "Did you get all that?" I asked and they both nodded. "Uh, how many vampires and werewolves are coming here?" Allan asked quietly. "I don't know, more than my coven, that's for sure." "And how many are in your coven?" Edgar inquired, equally as quiet as his brother. "Um, seven…" I replied.

"_WHAT?" _they both yelled at the same time. "What? What's wrong?" I demanded, alarmed by their reaction. "You mean to tell us that there are going to be more than _seven _vampires _and _werewolves in this town, fighting with the ones that are already here?" Allan hissed. "Yeah…" "Holy hell!" he cried, throwing his hands into the air. "But don't worry, we can fight them off," I assured them.

"No. I don't want you fighting; it's too dangerous," Edgar growled and I glared at him. "Excuse me? Before I became a vampire, you didn't have any problem with me helping you hunt vampires," I retorted. "That was different," he said, appearing to struggle for an excuse. "I didn't know that I loved you then."

I rolled my eyes. "Yeah, sure, okay. All I am saying is that if I could survive being attacked by vampires, then I can survive this too," I insisted. "You got turned into a vampire when you were attacked!" Edgar yelled. "Okay, bad example…but if any of us can survive a day out there-'' I growled, throwing my arm toward one of the windows to indicate the Boardwalk outside- "then we can fight!" Edgar and Allan just stared at me, their mouths agape, their eyes wide with shock.

"What?" I asked self-consciously. "Your arm…" Allan murmured. "What about my arm?" I growled impatiently, glancing down at my arm, which was still stretched out to indicate the outside world. I gasped. My arm was stretched out right in a pool of sunlight that filtered in through the window. But my arm wasn't burning. It wasn't on fire, and it didn't even feel uncomfortable. Just warm.

"Oh my God…" I murmured, pulling my arm back toward my body and inspecting it. Nothing seemed to be wrong. "Uh, did you just stick your arm in sunlight and it _not _burn up?" Edgar asked me and I nodded, appalled.

"Come with me," Allan hissed, grabbing my arm and pulling me toward the front door. "Allan. What are you doing?" Edgar demanded, his voice thick with suspicion and worry. "I'm testing this out," he informed his brother quietly as we both stepped out into the sunlight. Fear quivered through me- what if it had just been a fluke when we were inside?

"Hey! Allan, don't do this!" Edgar cried- it seemed he'd had the same thoughts as me. But if there was anything to be worried about, it was too late. The sunlight fell down onto my skin in warm rays…but nothing happened. It felt a bit hotter on my skin that it had when I was human, but I didn't burst into flames.

"Holy shit…" I whispered, turning my eyes up in the direction of the high sun. Joy filled my heart- so I really wouldn't have to give up the daytime! That had been one of the regrets I'd had…I'd always loved the sunlight and the warmth, although the nighttime seemed more natural to me now.

"Yes!" Allan cheered, grinning from ear to ear. Edgar just stood in the doorway of the comic book store, frozen, a look of shock on his face. Slowly, I a smile unfurled across my lips. "Well this is awesome," I murmured. Edgar didn't smile back. His eyes were flaming with anger, and the anger was directed at Allan.

"How could you do that?" he hissed at his brother, stalking over and towering above the dark-haired Frog. "What?" Allan asked, confused. "How could you drag her into the _sunlight? _She's a fuckin _vampire, _Allan!" he roared, and several people passing by gave us all strange looks.

"Hey, she didn't get hurt, now did she?" Allan growled as his brother shoved him. "Yeah, well what if she had, huh? What would you have done then?"

I watched with surprise until anger at their stupid fighting filled me. "Stop it! _Stop it!" _I screamed and they both screeched to a halt, turning to stare at me. I realized self-consciously that my voice had projected outward louder than I had yelled before. Maybe it was a physical power that vampires received when they were Changed- the ability to speak of what they want and get it to happen through their own body language. _Maybe that's how we seduce our victims, _I thought dryly to myself and then turned back to the brothers, who were still staring at me.

"Alright, you two, listen. We can't be yelling and fighting with each other when there are more important matters at hand!" I barked and they both nodded obediently. "Alright, now let's go back inside and try to figure out what we're going to do," I ordered and they nodded again, following me back inside. Somehow I knew that returning to the comic book store now would be like returning to my old life.

I didn't care now.

Okay, people, if you liked this chapter please review it! No flames, tho ;)


	5. Agreements

Thanks for all of the people who have been faithfully reading my stories. I'm sorry that sometimes I don't update in a long time, but I'm majorly busy right now. Keep on reading and reviewing!

Agreements

"So, what were we talking about before Allan dragged me out into the sunlight?" I asked once we were inside the comic store. "Um, I think you and Edgar were having a little love spat about whether you should fight or not," Allan answered. "Oh yeah…you're still not going to fight," Edgar growled. "Oh _come on, _Edgar, I've fought before. I've been hunting wild animals for two weeks now, which sometimes means fighting off other hungry predators. I can handle myself, you've gotta trust me," I insisted, fixing my earnest gaze on Edgar's pained one.

For a moment, we just stared each other down, and then finally Edgar dropped his eyes. "Okay, okay. You can fight," he muttered reluctantly. I smiled in triumph but it disappeared quickly. "I'm not exactly sure when this other coven is going to attack, so we'll need to start training right away," I said, and the Frog brothers exchanged a glance.

"You mean, just us, or your friends, or both?" Allan inquired slowly, his eyes wary. "Both," I replied, wondering why he was sounding so cautious.

"Dammit! Can't we just practice on our own? Hello? Professinal vampire hunters here, remember?" he complained. I rolled my eyes. "C'mon, man, it's not going to be _that _terrible. My friends don't bite," I insisted and they both threw me wide, disbelieving looks. Even _I _had to admit that it was a bad pun.

"Okay, in the literal sense they do, but they're not that bad! And you guys are tough- you'll deal. Plus, you're not really _professional _in the sense that you almost got killed when I was Changed," I pointed out, adding, _Not to mention that they were almost killed by their _parents _too. _No need to mention that.

"Yeah, yeah, we know, but we're still vampire hunters. We know what's what, and that's more than I can say for pretty much everyone else in the world," Allan grumbled, sounding offended.

"Yeah, well, just work with me here. My friends know more about vampires than you do and I could probably convince them to show you some tricks," I soothed, knowing that the Frog brothers would jump at the chance to learn fighting and hunting techniques…even if they were from vampires.

"Okay, I guess we could do it…" Edgar decided and Allan sighed dramatically. "I suppose…" I grinned at them. "We'll all be like one big happy family," I joked in a _way _too cheerful voice, wrapping my arms around each of them. Edgar and Allan groaned loudly at the mental image.

"So when's this training thing gonna start, anyway?" Allan muttered sullenly. I tried to ignore his childish sulking. "Well, I'd say right away. How about tonight?" The brothers exchanged a skeptical glance. "You do know that we have to run the store, right?" Edgar replied. "Shit. I forgot," I hissed.

"Well, couldn't your parents just watch it for a night? Or couldn't you just…I don't know…close it down for the night. Just tonight," I added, watching as their faces grew more and more skeptical. "I suppose we could…we could _attempt_ to keep our parents awake long enough to run it for this night, but we're making no promises," Edgar cautiously agreed.

"Alright, tonight it is," I said with a grin, sensing an easy victory. "Well, I'll get to work packing our weapons," Allan muttered, still sullen. I just grinned cheerfully at him and then turned to Edgar.

"Okay, what should _we _do?" I asked, indicating the two of us with a twitch of my hand. Edgar shrugged, smiling at me. "What do you want to do?" he asked, pressing closer to me. "I have no idea," I murmured sarcastically as I pulled him into my arms and kissed him softly.

"Why don't we go to my room?" He whispered the words over my lips, and I breathed in his breath, tasting them. They were as sweet as candy. I nodded, eyes half-closed in pleasure. We practically pushed each other into the bedroom and slammed the door shut, collapsing on Edgar's bed. Actually, I more shoved us both onto the bed like an animal as the kiss got more passionate, erratic. Edgar's fingers tangled in my hair, pressing my face closer to his as I flicked my tongue out to trace the curves of his mouth.

We had a _major _make-out session.

R+R please! No flames


	6. Alliance

Okay, sorry that I haven't updated in a while. I've been on vacation with the fam for Thanksgiving, so I haven't had time to write. Hope you like it!

Alliance

"Hey, guys, I packed all our stuff- WHOA! AHH!" Allan screamed. Edgar and I jumped apart and I glared at Allan. "Could you knock?" I growled. "Uh, it's my room too, ya know," he grumbled, shielding his eyes. "You can uncover your eyes now," Edgar called to him and Allan peeked through his fingers first, as if not totally trusting his brother.

"Ugh, you guys really should get a motel room or something. I don't want to have to sleep in a room where you guys did it," he said with a disgusted grimace. "Oh, can it, you immature beast," I retorted as I sprung lightly up from the bed. Edgar followed more slowly.

"Shouldn't you call your friends to make sure its okay with them if we train together?" Allan asked after a slightly awkward moment of silence. "Uh, well I'm hoping that they'll just deal with it," I replied, thinking nervously of how angry David (and Paul) would most likely be. "That's reassuring. What if they try to eat us?" Allan demanded, clenching his fists as if he imagined they were lined up to eat him at that very moment.

"Calm down, Al. Megan's around here all the time and she doesn't try to eat you!" Edgar retorted. "I have better taste than that," I added, grinning. "Yeah, well maybe she wouldn't try to eat _me, _but she was certainly just trying to eat _you,_" Allan said, grimacing in disgust. "That is not funny," I growled at him, remembering at that moment exactly why I had left them. The old panic returned, but it wasn't as strong. Hell, I'd just managed to make out big time with the one person I was most attracted to and I hadn't once thought of biting him.

"And anyway, I told you, the guys are cool. I'll convince them, just trust me," I went on, hoping to God that I was right about being able to convince them.

After that, the three of us waited around the comic book store, trying to pass the time before the sun started to go down. Around seven o' clock, Edgar and Allan tried fervently to wake their parents from their weed-induced stupor, and once they were sure they were alert enough to see properly, we all hopped on our bikes (well, I got on the back of Edgar's) and sped off.

I barely had to lead the way- we'd gone over the route before, and the brothers vaguely knew the area anyway. When we got there, the sun was barely peeking above the western horizon, turning the ocean to liquid flames. I could smell the fear-scent on my friends' skin, but they trudged down into the cave dutifully.

"David! Dwayne! Marko!" I called, knowing that my brothers would be awake by now and that they would hear me. After a few moments, the muffled sound of wind reached my ears as the flew down from their sleeping cave.

"Megan, what are you doing up so early?" Marko asked companionably the moment they floated into the main cave. When his eyes fell on the Frog brothers, though, he clamped his jaw shut, eyes wide with shock.

"Megan. What is this?" David demanded, landing a few feet from us. I steeled myself, lifting my chin and meeting David's flaming gaze. "I've brought friends who are prepared to fight with us against Damien's coven," I told him evenly. For a moment, he was silent, taking in my words.

"Do you realize what you've done to these kids?" Paul hissed from behind our leader. I had been right to assume he'd be angry- he was pissed. "Not if they keep their mouths shut. Which they will," I added quickly, throwing stern glances at Edgar and Allan.

"This is a very good idea, Megan," David began, surprising me. A good idea? "But what can they do? They're just kids." "Human kids," Paul said with a disgusted snort. Edgar and Allan stiffened at my side, but I twitched my hand out to hold them back. No way could they win a fight against my coven.

"They're more than just humans- they're vampire hunters." My words were met with the snarls and hisses of enraged, but fearful, vamps. I couldn't blame them. "But…they're just kids. How can they be vampire hunters?" Star asked, walking over with Laddie tucked under her arm. Edgar stepped forward, eyes flicking from side to side.

"We started hunting vampires when we were thirteen," he told her. Only I saw that he touched the scar on his hand, the one his own mother- turned vampire- had given him.

"So, you've been hunting for two years?" David murmured. I was immensely relieved to hear the thoughtfulness in his voice. Edgar and Allan nodded once in unison. After a long moment spent in silence, David finally lifted his head, a welcoming, if not slightly menacing smile stretched across his face. "Okay, then. You're welcome to help us."

Paul's jaw dropped like a lead weight and his eyes bulged from their sockets. "_What?_" he hissed. "Calm down, Paul," David said, turning to him. "No, I won't be calm. They're fuckin vampire hunters, man, and what's worse is they're annoying _humans!" _I rolled my eyes at Paul's list of priorities- he cared that they were annoying more than the fact that they were vampire hunters? Nice.

"Relax. We need all the help we can get," David assured him, his eyes growing grim. And suddenly I realized why he had accepted help so easily. He was _scared. _An icy chill shivered through my veins at the thought. How could our fierce leader be scared of another coven? I mean, sure, we were all a little nervous at the thought of fighting. But there were seven in our coven, and then two more including Edgar and Allan. Nine of us. _But you don't know how many are in the other coven, _a sinister voice whispered in my head. _Shut up! _I yelled back, instantly terrified by what the voice had pointed out.

Thankfully, Star's voice interrupted my terrified mental mumbling. "Will me and Laddie have to train too?" David turned to her and there was regret in his eyes. I knew he still loved her, and wished her nothing but happiness. But he would have to train her to make sure she was strong and skilled enough to fight if she had to.

"Yes. I'm afraid you do," he answered solemnly. Star nodded, just as serious, and crouched down to tell Laddie what was going on. I turned to David. "Should we start training now?" I asked him quietly and he nodded.

"We'll divide into two groups- the first group will learn basic physical attacks and battle moves, and the second will learn weaponry. You guys have vampire hunting weapons, I assume?" David asked, turning to the Frog brothers. I was amazed at how calm he sounded, even though he was talking about weapons that would kill him instantly. Which reminded me of something…

"Hey, David, can I talk to you for a minute?" I asked and he dipped his head. "Dwayne, take Paul, Star, and Laddie to learn the physical moves. After I'm done talking with Megan, I'll take the vamp hunters," he called over his shoulder. Dwayne dipped his head and gathered his group together while David and I headed to a corner of the cave.

"Okay, earlier today, something happened that I can't explain-'' "Wait a minute. You went out in the _daytime?" _David interrupted in an incredulous voice. "Yeah…that's what I wanted to talk to you about. When I was at the Boardwalk, I was exposed to sunlight and nothing happened to me. It didn't even hurt me at all," I explained slowly, watching as David's eyes got bigger and rounder with every word.

"You didn't burn up?" he whispered after a long pause. "Really, does it _look _like I was burned up?" I replied irritably. "Well…this is…" "Strange?" I offered and David grinned wryly. "Yeah. I would say that we could experiment with this…but I don't think that would be wise, seeing as me, Dwayne, Paul, and Marko are full vampires."

Confusion lit David's eyes. "I don't get it. You've drank blood before…" "Many times," I added, thinking of how skilled I'd become at hunting animals. And that gave me an idea.

"But I've only been drinking animal blood. Do you think that might have something to do with it?" David's eyes widened. "You know, you may have a point." We both fell silent, lost in thought for a moment.

"Well, I guess we'd better get to training your friends," David announced after a moment. "But, what about this-'' I protested but David interrupted me. "Don't worry. We'll experiment a little. But for now, we have work to do." I nodded- he was right. If we were going to stand any chance of defeating this angry coven, we'd have a lot of training and preparing to do.

Okay, R+R please! (but no flames)


	7. Training

Okay, another chapter up! Hope you guys like it!

Training

"Alright, guys, it's time to train." David's voice called the Frog brothers and Marko to attention. "Uh, which one's Edgar and which one's Allan?" David stage-whispered to me. He'd heard me talk about them so many times he knew their names.

"The dark-haired one is Allan. The completely gorgeous one is Edgar," I murmured back, smiling at my boyfriend. He grinned back, unaware of what passed between David and I. My vamp leader grimaced at my word choice, but turned to the others without a word.

"Alright, Allan, I see you've brought a backpack. Am I to believe that there are weapons in there?" David asked- I was surprised at how official and calm he sounded. Allan nodded shortly, pulling the backpack off of his shoulders and setting it to the ground at David's feet. Picking it up, the white-haired vamp quickly rummaged through it, hissing slightly at the stakes, the Holy water, the cross…well, pretty much everything. That's why I was surprised when he started laughing and pulled out a string of garlic.

"Boys, garlic doesn't work," he told them, still chuckling with slight contempt. Edgar clenched his fists and Allan narrowed his eyes. "What do you mean it doesn't work?" Allan demanded angrily. "I mean it doesn't work. Did I stutter?" David snarled, stalking forward until he towered over the two of them.

"David!" I snapped, rushing to stand protectively in front of the Frog brothers. He glared at them for a moment longer and then threw the backpack at Allan. "Take out the stuff…I'll get some gloves," he growled and stalked off.

I whipped around to glare at Allan. "Dude, you don't piss off the leader of a coven. He'll kill you," I hissed to him. "Well, he shouldn't act like we're inferior. We've killed vampires before!" Allan whispered back, his eyes glinting fury. "I know, I know. But please, just _try _to cooperate, okay?" I pleaded. Allan sighed. "Fine." I turned to Edgar, still earnest. He nodded without saying a word.

When David came back, he shoved a pair of gloves at me and Marko, and then slipped some on himself. "Alright, I don't suppose you brought enough weapons to go around?" David asked the brothers. "We _always _have enough," Allan retorted, emphasizing the word "always". I squeezed my eyes shut, awaiting David's anger, but it never came. He merely nodded. Even so, I could sense the tension between the two of them. Clearly, Allan and David weren't meant to get along, just like Paul and I weren't meant to get along.

"What do you want us to start on?" Edgar asked, clearly sensing exactly what I had been. "Stakes," David responded without hesitation. Without another word, Edgar started to hand stakes to all of the members in our group. I was slightly irritated that they'd brought a lot of stakes- as if they'd thought my brothers really would have eaten them- but I didn't say anything. Whatever made them feel better.

I was all prepared for David to start out the lesson with cool confidence. But he didn't. I looked up, surprised, and saw him fiddling with the stake, looking embarrassed. "Edgar, come and show us some moves," he finally grumbled, grudgingly. Edgar blinked in surprise and then stepped up to take David's place.

"Alright, first there are just some basic moves…" he began, seeming hesitant. As he kept talking and leading the instruction, his voice grew in power and authority, and by the end of the stake lesson I was very proud of him.

"Are we coming back here tomorrow?" Edgar asked, looking at me. "Yeah, I think so," I said, glancing at David for approval. He nodded once. "Alright, then, tomorrow night, we'll start a lesson on how to throw a stake and how to hit the heart." I blinked in surprise. "You know how to do that?" I asked, incredulous. "Well, I'm still learning…but I figured, why not practice it?" he said, a bit sheepish.

"So, what next?" he went on, turning to David. "How about Holy water?" he suggested. "Alright. Allan, could you pass out the water guns?" David tried unsuccessfully to stifle his snicker. "Water guns?" "Well, Holy water does hurt vampires, does it not?" Edgar replied steadily, unaffected by David's contempt. As soon as Allan had passed out the water guns, we all turned to face Edgar for another lesson.

For about an hour, we learned different ways to handle vampire hunting weapons, until David suggested we switch into the battle-training. Edgar and Allan just about exploded with excitement, but David had other plans. "I'm sorry, Allan, but the others will need an instructor for the weaponry. I want you to lead them."

Allan's eyes grew wide with rage and shock. "_What?" _he hissed, but I quickly stepped up to stop him. "Uh, David, if you don't mind, I'd like to teach them actually. I know how to fight physically better than them. No offense, it just comes naturally with being a vampire," I added quickly to the Frog brothers. David grimaced but nodded. "Oh, fine. C'mon, let's get started," he barked to the others as I headed off to the other group.

"Hey, thanks, Megan," Allan murmured to me and I grinned. "No problem. I just didn't want him to suck your blood," I teased and he rolled his eyes at me. "Oh, you know that he would never do that!" he replied sarcastically and then rushed over to the battle-training group.

I spent about an hour with the weaponry group, and then both groups stopped to rest for a while. "Hey, how about we go to the Boardwalk?" Laddie piped up excitedly. "Yeah, I'd love that," Star added, and I could tell by the sparkle in her eyes that she was thinking of the older brother that the Frog brothers had been talking about. I knew David couldn't like that, but everyone else wanted to go to the Boardwalk, so it was unanimous.

"Are you flying?" Marko asked me as we all headed out of the cave. I glanced at Edgar and Allan. "I don't think so," I replied. "You can fly if you want to," Edgar told me quietly. Both he and his brother were staring at me and my cousin, mystified.

"You know, I could probably give you guys a ride if you wanted," I began. "One of you could ride on my back, and then I could just hold someone else." I don't know why I suddenly wanted them to see the world from above- maybe it had something to do with their mortality… But no matter what it was, I could tell the Frog brothers felt the same.

"You can hold me," Allan said. "Edgar can _ride _you," he went on. Edgar immediately punched Allan's shoulder. "Ow, dammit, that hurt!" "That's what you get for being a smartass," I growled at him and he just grinned. "Fine, I'll be a dumbass." Rolling my eyes, I crouched down so Edgar could hop on, glaring all the while at Allan.

After a moment, I stood up and then floated into the air. "Oh, wow," the brothers said in unison. "Here, grab my hand. I won't let go, I promise," I told Allan. He took hold of my hand, clutching at it with an iron grip. It didn't really hurt me, it was just a bit uncomfortable. I knew that if I'd still been human, I would have felt like he was tearing my arm from the socket.

And with that, I bulleted into the air like a rocket. "Holy shit!" the brothers both yelled and I laughed, swirling in the air while trying to catch up to my coven, who'd gone on ahead of us. The ocean glittered below us, silver and white and indigo all jumbled together like an intricate puzzle peace. The fresh, cool smell of a late summer night surrounded us, and, as I looked up, the stars sparkled like diamonds in a black curtain.

"This is amazing," Edgar murmured to me and I twisted my head to the side to smile at him. "Like you," he went on, his voice growing soft with emotion as he pressed his forehead to mine. Love like fire raged, in the pit of my stomach and deep in my heart.

"And you," I replied, pressing my lips to his. My mind grew fuzzy, and my heart fluttered in my chest like a canary in a cage. I hadn't realized we were spiraling through the air, swirling down toward the ocean, until Allan's terrified cry burst into mine and Edgar's personal bubble.

"Dammit, Megan, stop kissing my brother and start flying!" he screamed at me. "Oh, shit!" I said- the water of the ocean appeared to be rushing up to greet us as we fell. I tried to pull up, but with the extra weight of the brothers, it was too late and we plummeted into the salty water.

Wow, smart of me, huh?

R+R please! no flames!


	8. A Normal Kind of Insane

Okay, hi people. I really hope you like this chapter!

A Normal Kind of Insane

Our falling into the ocean made for rich, hearty laughing and ridiculing from my coven, of course. As soon as we'd hit the water, I'd grabbed the brothers' hands and pulled them to shore. We'd all come out, irritated expressions on our faces, our drenched hair flopping into our eyes, and our dripping clothes clinging to our sodden bodies.

"Wow, Megan, is there any way you could get stupider?" Allan grumbled to me. "Hey, don't talk to her like that," Edgar growled. Allan simply rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Next time we're flying, don't stop to make out with my horny brother in mid-air."

Our moods completely switched gears once we'd made it to the concert hall, where Tim Capello was finishing his concert with the song "I Still Believe". "C'mon!" I hissed excitedly, pulling Edgar and Allan into the dancing crowd. Star and Laddie followed us, but the other vamps left- to hunt, I assumed.

The five of us started dancing and jumping to the beat, singing along at the top of our lungs. Heat and the raucous sounds of laughter and clapping and yelling, the bright light of the full moon and the stars and the refreshing sounds and smells rolling in from the ocean and the woods, filled my body with pure energy and happiness.

And during the last few sentences of the last verse, the five of us all looked at each other, because it so totally applied to us: "For people like us, in places like this, we need all the hope we can get." The total sense of unity that I felt at that moment filled me with a sense of belonging, and for the first time in weeks, I felt like I'd _gained_ a family, instead of always having to abandon them. And it wasn't just with my closest friends/family- it was with everyone in the concert hall, everyone in Santa Carla, everyone and everything in the world.

For the first time, I felt like I could see a little bit farther, could see why and how the world turned the way it did. I could actually _feel _it turning. And the little ribbons of time that I'd held so dear tightened around me, wrapping me in a blanket of warmth and love. Because I was _home. _It didn't matter if my home was a cave/comic book store instead of a beach house, or that my family was a bunch of vampires and vampire slayers. It was _my _home and it was _my _family, and nothing could change that. Ever.

After the concert, Star grabbed Laddie's hand and rushed off, and for the first time I sensed the waves of chaotic emotions rolling off of her- fear, anguish, and also love and lust. _What's up with her? _I wondered to myself, but before I could follow the thought any further, Edgar and Allan bounced off, pulling me along with them.

We had a great time that night. We spent most of our time goofing off and playing games and riding all the amusement park rides like there was nothing wrong. That everything was normal and we weren't hard-wired like a bunch of maniacs. Instead we were a normal kind of insane. If you can dig it.

At about one in the morning, we all headed back to the comic book store, laughing and talking in loud, obnoxious, teenage voices. We closed up the comic store for the night, but we weren't ready to retire. In some part of my brain I mused over the fact that the Frog brothers might be acquiring my nocturnal schedule, but that was just a small part of my brain. The rest was trying to figure out how to work the brothers' jumbled old radio.

"Okay, how the hell do you work this fuckin thing," I muttered, trying to pull the lid to the CD player up but only succeeding in tearing it out. "Oh, nice going, genius," Allan retorted, grabbed a ring of duct tape and, after fixing the result of my effort at opening the CD player, I popped in my CD of INXS.

And it was like the concert all over again.

When "Good Times" started to play, we all jumped around and danced like someone was shooting at our feet. We even played the air guitar and the invisible drums, pretending we were the band. I bet if anyone else was watching us they'd have us tied up in chains and straight jackets and hauled off to the funny farm. I mean, we were _crazy. _

After the CD had played through twice, we all slumped against each other, listening to the last song, my favorite: "Laying Down the Law". Panting, I grinned at the Frog brothers and they grinned back. No words had to be exchanged- we all knew what the other was thinking and feeling in that moment. We were family. We were one.

After recovering from our strange "performance", Allan sighed. "Well, I'd better get started on that inventory. A new shipment of comics came today, apparently," he told us, nodding toward stacks of boxes marked in bold letters: COMICS. "Have fun," I told him as he shuffled off.

I silently headed into the bedroom, feeling Edgar trail after me. "Well, did you have fun tonight?" he asked me as we both sat down. I shivered with delight as he wrapped his arm around me and then traced a light, random pattern down my back with his fingertip. "Yeah," I murmured, leaning into him. He grinned. "Good."

With that he started burying his face in the crook of my neck. I laughed and tried to push him away. "What, you don't love me anymore?" he asked, donning a perfectly sad puppy-dog/pouty face. I giggled. "Yes, I do," I replied. He grinned and kissed my neck again. "But stop it!" I protested, trying to push him away again. "That tickles!" Edgar lifted his head and grinned mischievously at me. "Oh, really?" he asked and began to tickle me. I squeaked and tried to squirm away. "I didn't know vampires could be ticklish," he said smugly as I finally was able to grab his wrists and hold him at bay.

Staring into his eyes, I was suddenly overcome with my love for him, and my reply came out breathy: "Well, now you do." He smiled sweetly at me and stroked his thumb down my face.

I didn't have to ask for him to kiss me. There were no more concerns anymore. If I'd wanted his blood more than his lips, I could have easily had my way. But I loved him more than I lusted after him, and that meant more kisses. Yum. He kissed me fiercely, pressing me down into the mattress beneath him. My hands clutched at his back as his tongue explored my mouth, sending a stream of hot, sweet-tasting air into my mouth.

A strange, instinctive craving filled my being, spilling out from the depths of my heart, as Edgar gave a little moan of pleasure. I felt a strong, almost scarily overpowering feeling much like when I drank blood. But this was more…I'm not exactly sure, but I sure as hell know it was amazing.

The blood pounded through my body, and I could hear it surging through Edgar's veins, too. With a purr that sounded more like a growl, I tore the shirt off of Edgar's back, and he in turn slipped mine off, too.

"You are so amazing," he whispered as he kissed me fiercely. He had just been able to slip my bra off when a crash sounded from the main room of the store. We jumped apart, our hearts beating fast, and this time, not just with the passion of our love. Fear now colored our expressions.

"What the hell was that?" I hissed and Edgar only paused for a second. "Allan," he muttered and then threw me my bra and t-shirt. I dressed speedily, balancing my overwhelming feelings for Edgar with my fear at what that sound could have been.

And suddenly, my enhanced hearing was able to pick up more sounds: screaming, snarling, the sounds of _fighting. _"No! Allan!" I murmured and darted out the door, Edgar right behind me.

Okay, sorry that I had to leave you on a cliff-hanger, but it seemed appropriate...and plus, I'm _supposed _to be grounded from the computer and my "mom's-coming-and-you're-spidey-senses-are-tingling" are tingling. So for now, bye! R+R please, but no flames!


	9. Exhausting Night

Exhausting Night

Both of us skidded to a stop just outside the bedroom door, shocked. It seemed like the store was swarming with vampires and great big dog-like creatures that were almost graceful, pretty, despite their furious silver or yellow eyes. With a jolt I realized these were the werewolves.

Allan stood in the center of the room, a stake clutched in either hand, and around him stood my snarling coven. _Wait, my coven? _my mental voice gasped and I did a doubletake. Yeah, there they were. David stood closest to the oncoming predators, snarling and lashing out if they came to close to the heart of the coven- Star and Laddie, who barely knew, besides from instinct, how to fight at all. Paul and Dwayne fought back to back, swinging large crosses like lassos from their gloved, protected hands. Marko held a water gun in hand and was shooting Holy water at the intruders.

It only took me and Edgar nanoseconds to get our wits about us and jump headfirst into the melee. My hunting instincts set in, and I felt my face change. To distort into something feral, aggressive, and anciently wild. My fangs grew out, sharpening into razor points and my fingernails followed suit. This change all took place in mid-air, as I leaped at an enemy.

My claws connected with their target- the undead thing's neck- and he yowled in pain. His teeth flashed out, and I barely had time to pull my arms away as his jaws clicked right where they had been. He snarled in rage, his flaming vampire eyes searing me to the bone.

We circled each other for a minute before he feinted to the left. Just as he did so, another vampire hit me from the right and sent me spiraling away. I snarled ferociously and turned on my new attacker, slashing my claws across his face. He hissed in pain and grabbed me, wrapping his clawed hands dangerously around my throat.

My growl choked and spluttered as the air was cut off from my wind pipes. I kicked out strongly in panic and my foot connected with his stomach. He dropped me, groaning and doubling over in pain. I didn't hesitate and roundhouse kicked him. My heel hit the side of his head so hard with my semi-new, extremely powerful strength that I dented his head. I heard the sickening crack, felt the splash of blood and the sudden ache of pain that stung up the back of my leg with the impact.

The other vampire leaped as the vampire I'd just probably killed fell to the ground, and his teeth sank deep into my shoulder. I cried out and jabbed him with my claws until he fell away from me, bleeding from his arm where I'd been stabbing him. The fresh smell of blood- it didn't matter that it was vampire blood- invaded my nostrils, and my senses went wild. And with the wildness came a new wave of power, of fresh power that I could only feel through hunting- and now, fighting.

Up my throat and out of my mouth came a powerful, extremely loud roar that made my enemy pause for a moment, puzzled and nervous. I grinned savagely at him and lunged into him- not at him, actually into him. My claws sunk deep into the skin of his belly, while my teeth chomped down hard on his neck. He struggled against me, kicking and scratching, but I forced him to the floor as his struggles grew weaker and weaker. His breath came in ragged, choked gasps until he finally lay still. And even then I didn't let go until a few minutes later, when the screams and hisses of the fight stopped.

Sitting up slowly, almost as if I were aching, I turned my head to the left and right, looking for any more enemies. But they had all been driven off. "Megan, are you alright?" Edgar asked, rushing over to where I still crouched, half-feral, over the dead body of the vampire. "Yeah…" I said slowly, as a wave of exhaustion flooded through me. When I tried to stand, it almost overpowered me and I sunk into Edgar's arms.

"Are you sure? That's a nasty bite on your shoulder," he noticed, catching me. I nodded, eyes half-closed. Whatever rage had filled me just then, it had disappeared just as quickly, and had taken my energy with it. Plus I hadn't slept in a while…

"Well, if you're sure…" Edgar trailed off uncertainly, as if he didn't fully trust my judgment. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine," I told him irritably. "How's everybody else?" I asked, trying to sit up. Another wave of light-headedness hit me. Maybe I had lost a lot of blood…

"Allan has a bad cut on his arm, and David was bitten on his neck, but other than that everyone's just got a couple of scratches and bruises." As he spoke, I looked him over, spotting a large bruise just beginning to blossom under the skin just above his left eye. I touched it lightly with my fingertip, suddenly remembering what had happened between us just before the battle and didn't say anything.

"What the hell was that about?" Paul's voice thundered, and I looked up to see him standing, livid, face-to-face with a much calmer David. "What do you think?" he replied. "I don't know, David. You're story seemed a little weak to me," Paul snarled, clenching his fists.

"Hey! Calm down, Paul," I called, sensing the beginning of a fight. "Well this is bullshit! Why would this Max dude, whoever he is, tell you to start your own coven 'to become great' when he should know that it would cause chaos with Damien's coven? And why would he be angry with you if he really did want you to become great?" Paul demanded. I couldn't help agreeing with him- at least I hadn't been the only one to sense some fishiness with David's story.

David's eyes burned with a bright anger, but it was shadowed with nervousness and I knew that Paul had hit the nail right on the head- David had been lying. But why?

"Well?" Paul was still waiting for an answer. David's eyes flashed black fury, and I expected him to swipe his claws across the other vampire's face. But the rage vanished and David seem to visibly shrink in his skin as he sighed in obvious reluctance.

"Okay. So I lied a little bit. Big deal," he muttered. "It is a big deal because it obviously concerns our lives!" Dwayne shouted, siding with Paul. Marko's eyes were dark with suspicion but he didn't say anything. Star, Laddie, and Allan crouched behind the other vamps, watching with wide eyes. I got to my feet and Edgar stood protectively by my side as David launched into a second tale- one that I hoped to be true.

"Well, the part I told you about me being adopted is true. And, after I was Changed, me and my adoptive siblings really did get in with the wrong crowd. But instead of running away from them, I tried to lead them. I fought a lot of the time, trying to earn my place as the coven's leader- soon, my nickname was 'chief'." David smiled ruefully and I remembered when Tony had come to warn us of Damien's rising coven- he had called him chief then.

"I'd gathered a small elite core around me to protect me and my position- Tony and Damien were among them. I thought I could trust them, I thought they were my friends."

The fiery rage roared to life in David's eyes. "I thought wrong. Being leader of a coven is a coveted position, which I'm sure you could've assumed, and I knew that others had wanted it. But I didn't know just how badly until the night I was forced to leave. I had been injured by a rogue vampire a couple nights before and I couldn't hunt on my own. Damien agreed to help me whenever I went out. We were out hunting, me and Damien, when we ran into Max and Tony. They smiled at me and told me that it was time my leadership came to an end. I turned to Damien to tell him to get ready to fight, but he just grinned at me and attacked me. I managed to escape, but not without injury."

With that, David pulled up the sleeve of his leather jacket and showed us a long, thick scar that ran from the length of his elbow to his shoulder. "I ran all the way here, to Santa Carla- you see, I'd been living in Luna Bay for some time and it's even more infested with vamps and wolves than here. I found the caved-in hotel and rested there until I was fit enough to hunt. After a while, I figured I'd form my own coven."

David shrugged, glancing at Paul warily. "That good enough for you?" Paul didn't answer for a while, but when he did, his voice was subdued. "When they attacked just now, they weren't trying to kill us, were they? They were just testing our strength."

A cold chill ran through my body. "And they would have killed Allan," I realized. David nodded in my direction. "They would have wanted to pick some off our allies," he added with a shrug. "We have to stick together more often," Marko muttered determinedly, resting his eyes on me. I met his gaze and I felt a panic rising in me- Marko was right, and if anything happened to any of my new family, I would be devastated.

"Right. And we should probably run more patrols, too," David agreed, turning to me. "Do you think you could run on a human's schedule if you had to?" I nodded, not completely sure I wanted to leave the sanctity of night that I'd come to love. "Alright, I want you to run patrols with the Frog brothers every day until this coven is taken care of. Every night, when we come to the Boardwalk I'd like a report, and when we leave at dawn, we'll give you three a report. Got it?" I nodded, feeling as if a dead-weight had just dropped onto my shoulders.

"Alright. We'll leave you three now and run patrols until dawn," David assured us as my coven headed outside. I nodded to them and as soon as they'd left, me and the Frog brothers gathered together in a little circle.

"Good thing you're friends were close by. We would have been dead meat," Allan said in a shaky voice. I felt the panic clench at my heart again, fervently thanking God for my coven and for the fact that my best friend was still alive. "We should probably get this place cleaned up before we have to open it tomorrow," Edgar said quietly. We all nodded and got to work.

It took us until about 4:30 in the morning to clean up broken glass, patch up a hole in a large wooden sliding door and then get it back on its slats, not to mention the mess of comics and book stands that were strewn across the room, so sleep that night was moot. I couldn't believe that the Frog brothers' aunt and uncle hadn't woken up with all the noise we'd made, stoned or not.

At six o'clock sharp, Marko and Star flew down into the store to tell us that they'd followed the coven's scent trail miles into the woods until they'd lost it when they'd crossed a large river. After they'd left, we all collapsed in a bed, exhausted. I was finally able to drift into a light, uneasy sleep.

R+R please. No flames.


End file.
